Girdling tool



Nov. 29, 1938. J CARTWRIGHT 2,138,726

GIRDLING TOOL Filed June :5, 1957 JOHN M. CAeTme/ewz 11v VENTOR;

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 29, 1938 2,138,72d

UNITED srnras rarest caries GIRD-LING TOOL John M. Cartwright, Malaga, Calif.

Application June 3, 1937, Serial No. 146,151 1 Claim. (Cl. 30-173) My invention relates to a girdling tool or girdedge, and is preferably sloped, or sharpened on ling knife. In raising fruits and grapes it has one face only, the opposite face being a plane. become usual to girdle the cane or stalk pro- These blades are assembled with the jaws as folducing the fruit, that is, to out out a small band lows: The jaw shown as la has two blades on 5 of the bark of the cane or stalk at a certain stage each side of the jaw, the blades 9a and 9d, and 5 in the growth of the fruit, the object being to blades db-and 90 being arranged so the sharpened thereby increase the size of the fruit. I am aware edges of the blades on the one side of the jaw that several forms of girdling tools, or knives are describe two segments of a circle, or curve joined in use, but each and all of such tools assume that at the end adjacent to the jaw to which it is 10 the cane or stalk to be girdled is truly round and attached, from which point of junction the 10 the blades of the girdling tools and the knives sharpened edges of the blades curvingly diverge cut unevenly in depth when the cane or stalk is to a point. The blades are used in pairs. Each some other shape than round, and should there pair consists of two blades one on either side of be a depression in the periphery of the cane as the jaw, as shown in Fig. 3. The curves of the is frequently the case, the bark is frequently not sharpened edges of each pair are approximately 15 cut within such depression and the girdling is concentric. The pair of blades 90. and 9b should imperfectly done. be positioned so their plane faces are adjacent The object of my invention is the manufacture to each other. The pair Sc and 9d, and pair 96 of a girdling tool having the blades shaped so and 9 should likewise be positioned with their that they will cut in depressions as well as in plane faces adjacent. In each pair the plane 20 u ar outlines as the tool nd bla e are m v d races are not parallel, but slightly converge from around the cane, without regard to the contour of the backs of the blades toward the sharpened the periphery of the cane. Another object is the edge. In view of the fact that the sharpened creation of a girdling tool which will readily disedges are convex, said sharpened edges of each 2:, charge the cut out portions of the bark which pair diverge toward the points of the blades. Would Otherwise lodge e w n e d A The object of this arrangement of the blades is other object is the creation of a tool which canto assist automatically in cleaning the tool of not easily get out of order and which can be strips of bark pealed from the canes girdled, cheaply constructed. Other objects will be herewhich bark is deposited between the blades and so inafter set forth. which will clog the tool unless easily disposed of.

I have accomplished these objects by means of There are two blades, 9e and 9 on the jaw 6a. the device hereinafter described, and illustrated These blades compose a pair as they are posin the mpany g d aw g i Which Fig. 1 is a tioned on opposite sides of the jaw. The approxperspective view of the girdling tool complete imate relation of the three pairs of blades when having a sectional view of a cane or arm of a in use on a cane or arm of a vine is shown in 35 grape vine in position to be girdled. Fig. l in which cane i0 is shown in section, it

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blades on one of the being noted that a portion of the cutting edge of laws showing the relative arrangement f f ur each blade is in contact with the vine or cane.

Cutting blades p It is noted that as each of the blades has a convex 4O 3 IS an end VleW 0f the l carrylng two cutting edge, the convex edge can enter any deb es ypressions on the vine, such as 0a, and cut the Fig. 4 is a unit cutting blade showing the face bark therein on which the blade is sharpened.

' H d tdt rmall holdh Fig. 5 shows a reverse face of the same blade Spring 15 3 ap e o no y b e Jaws and blades in an open relation. When in use 2;5 :3523 drawing I have shown handles sufficient pressure must be placed on the handles 45 6 and I which are pivotedtogether with pivot 8. to wercoine the spring tensiort and.to hold the The movement of these handles on the pivot is madPfsadJaCent to the cane,be1,ng glrdled' preferably similar to the movement of the two It 15 also noted that my glrdlmg, tool has t' elements of a pair of scissors or a pair of tongs, double'pomt contacts of the cuttmg edges Wlth 50 in which pressure on the handles close the jaws. the Cane Vine, W ch glves the user the ad- Jaws 6a and lot are extensions of handles 6 and l Vantage of less movement In Clrcllng the a beyond the pivot 8. These jaws carry cutting than would be required if the tool had two blades 9. double-point contacts, or a one double-point con- Cutting blade 9 is formed with a convex cutting tact common with the tools now in use. 55

Having described my invention I claim as new and ask for Letters Patent:

A girdling tool having two handles, each handle terminating at one end with a jaw, said handles being pivotally connected, adapting the jaws to be opened and closed, cutting blades convex in shape, each blade terminating at an approximate point, said blades being arranged on the jaws in pairs, the blades forming each pair being positioned on diverging planes, the greatest divergence between the blades of each pair being at the points of the blades, two pairs of blades being attached to one jaw, the two pairs of blades thereon being arranged so that the sharpened edges of one pair diverge from the sharpened edges of the other pair, the cooperating jaw having one pair of blades thereon, the one pair of blades on said cooperating jaw being positioned so that the sharpened edges thereof are on the same approximate plane as the cooperating blades on the jaw having two pairs of blades thereon.

JOHN M. CARTWRIGHT. 

